This antique vesta case has chased silver Art Nouveau florals with an enameled cover.[180A, 156B] It is a Continental "objet de vertu", hand made and enameled about the end of the 19th Century in France. It is made of silver, stamped "800" and depicts the same courting couple in a pastoral landscape on a hinged cover, as found in reference books.[9C] At first, enamels were made within compartments called cloisons (French). Later they were painted as any pictorial, a process the French call "email des peintres".[13E] Silver chasing scrolls of Art Nouveau style and hatching marks cover the bottom, sides , and frame the "email des peintres" scene.
At first it appears to be a compact, but the hole for the missing ring attachment explains the lack of a mirror or cosmetic aids. Vesta cases hold vesta, wooden matches. There may have been a matching cigarette case. There are surface scratches on the enamel (see photos) and the missing ring of vesta cases. It can be used as a pill case, a personal "objet de vertu". References available upon request.
Size: ~ 1/2" H x 2 3/4"; Weight: ~ 53 grams